Many Americans have the goal of looking and feeling younger. While exercise and diet are strong components of any plan to look good or feel good, there may be areas where those daily habits can’t contribute. For many who have unwanted hair or frown lines or skin that just won’t look younger, the answer is simple: a cosmetic procedure that solves those imperfections.

Here’s a list of the top four.

Botox

Botox is a cosmetic procedure that got its name from a chemical compound called Botulinum toxin. It was in 2002 that the Food and Drug Administration approved the toxin for the treatment of frown lines between the brows and crow’s feet lines in adults. It was actually a plastic surgeon named Richard Clark who first used the toxin for cosmetic purposes, alleviating facial asymmetry caused by unilateral facial nerve paralysis.


The Botox industry is fairly lucrative, drawing in around $2.5 billion per year and companies who specialize in Botox products will attest to the ease of treatment. Each procedure lasts about 30 minutes, with the average course of treatment being four months.

The procedure involves injecting a certain concentration of Botulinum toxin into the area with the frown lines or crow’s feet lines. The toxin then reducing the muscle activity, relaxing the frown lines or crow’s feet lines. It is the most popular cosmetic procedure for women over 35 years old.

Laser Hair Removal

There are many areas where a person would want to remove hair. Legs, underarm, upper lip, and bikini line pose a problem with constant maintenance that some people would like to remove.

Laser hair removal involves the use of a laser beam that passes through the skin to a hair follicle. The heat from the laser damages the follicle, thereby inhibiting future hair growth. Although the follicle is damaged, there may still be future hair growth without future treatments. Most patients receive permanent hair loss between three and eight sessions.

Laser hair removal is the most popular cosmetic procedure for women under 35.

Microdermabrasion

Achieving clear, youthful skin is a challenge for many, even with the aid of creams, anti-aging masks, and brightening foundation. Microdermabrasion became popular through celebrities and is being turned to by some as a way to gain clearer, more youthful skin for longer than traditional methods.

A microdermabrasion procedure involves exfoliating the surface layer of the skin with an abrasive paddle, cream, or even crystals. The idea is to remove the top layer of skin–the dead cells–and allow the next layer to be revealed.

This is a noninvasive procedure and a typical appointment takes between 15 and 30 minutes. Skin peeling is a normal occurrence and goes away within 24-28 hours.

Chemical Peels

A similar concept to microdermabrasion is the chemical peel. The chemical peel is a procedure that uses a chemical solution poured onto the skin to remove the top layers. It can be done at different depths and can treat wrinkles, discoloration, and scars.